pH

[Ansomnia7]

Is there a way to naturally balance pH in a freshwater tank? Mine has been running a bit high since adding fish.

 

[bob mccoy]

drift wood works real well

 

[bob mccoy]

i use it in all my angel fish tanks. what do you consider hi ph and what fish do you have in it

 

[Samzter]

Indian almond leaves work too.

 

[BBradbury]

Hello Ans...

Aside from the rare species, the pH of your tap water doesn't present a problem for aquarium fish. They'll adapt to most public water supplies. Just use a water treatment to remove the chlorine and chloramine, change the tank water regularly and your fish and plants will be fine. A pH between 6.5 and 8 is fine as long as the level is steady. Don't try to change it, though. This causes water chemistry problems.

B

 

[Oohitsae]

Yeah, stability is more important than having a neutral pH. My tap runs at 7.8 and my tanks are 7.6 because of DW, but none of my species that prefer acidic water naturally have any problems thriving in it.

If you have wild caught or fragile species, then it may be time to consider some peat moss or bogwood, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. Like said, altering pH is more risky than keeping it steady, and most species will adapt just fine to higher or lower pH's than recommended